Post-Draft – Player Values and Quick Hits

Arguably the best TE in a weak class, Hooper has only Jacob Tamme and Levine Toilolo to beat out for playing time. He still needs some development, but he could be a good stash for a year or two down the road.

Baltimore Ravens

Kenneth Dixon, RB – 4thround

Dixon is a talented back who joins a crowded backfield with Forsett, Allen and even Terrance West in the mix. He is younger than Forsett and a more well-rounded game than Allen. It may take some time, but he could emerge as the lead back here.

Chris Moore, WR – 4thround

A deep threat receiver who joins an already very crowded WR corps. Not a lot of value here.

Buffalo Bills

Cardale Jones, QB – 4thround

Shares a similar skillset to the other QBs currently on the roster, he could eventually be the successor at a position that still has some question marks.

Jonathan Williams, RB – 5thround

A smart, tough, instinctual runner with good footwork, he should immediately come in and battle for the backup job behind Shady McCoy. Karlos Williams takes a pretty sizeable hit in value.

Carolina Panthers

N/A. *Notes* – Many thought a RB would be drafted, so Cameron Artis-Payne gets a slight bump in value.

Chicago Bears

Jordan Howard, RB – 5thround

A big and powerful downhill runner, he should challenge for early down work immediately. Langford drops in value due to a loss of some early down work, but should continue as the primary 3rd down back.

Daniel Braverman, WR – 7th round

A popular sleeper pick, Braverman is a shifty, tough and creative receiver who some are projecting as a potential high volume slot specialist in the same vein as Julian Edelman. He’s worth a look in the later rounds, but will likely have a hard time finding touches playing between Alshon Jeffrey and Kevin White.

Cincinnati Bengals

Tyler Boyd, WR – 2ndround

With only an underwhelming Brandon LaFell in the mix as the Bengals new WR2, Boyd has a very good chance at starting as the season as the immediate #2. He also adds some value in KR/PR leagues.

Cleveland Browns

Oh man, I don’t even know where to start…

Corey Coleman, WR – 1stround

Ricardo Louis, WR – 4thround

Jordan Payton, WR – 5thround

Rashard Higgins, WR – 5thround

Coleman is by far the most athletically talented WR of the bunch, but he ran a limited route tree in college, so the Browns may have to find different ways to get the ball in his hands.

Louis is a good player, but Payton and Higgins will likely be the ones to watch here. The Browns are cleaning house, and one of those two will likely be a valuable WR2 down the road if they can find a suitable QB.

Cody Kessler, QB – 3rdround

A bit of a head scratcher here, but the more you think about it the more it makes sense. He’s got a bit of a weak arm, but he’s a good decision maker with above average accuracy. He’s got a similar skillset to Hue Jackson’s last starting QB (Andy Dalton).

Dallas Cowboys

Ezekiel Elliot, RB – 1stround

Nothing much else to say here that hasn’t already been said. He’s the clear cut 1.01 in almost every dynasty league. Morris, McFadden and Dunbar all take big value hits.

Dak Prescott, QB – 4thround

A dual threat QB who is talented but still needs to develop quite a bit, he could be a useful investment as the potential successor to an aging and injury riddled Romo.

Denver Broncos

Paxton Lynch, QB – 1stround

He’s huge and has some great physical tools, but he’s got a long way to go if he wants to learn the NFL game. He’s a good stash but likely (hopefully) won’t see the field for a couple of years.

Devontae Booker, RB – 4thround

One of the higher ranked RBs in this draft, Booker has great vision and quickness but has some trouble with footwork, fumbles, and ability to break tackles and run with vision. CJ Anderson is still the starter here, but Booker should immediately push out a mediocre Hillman for the backup job.

Detroit Lions

N/A. *Notes* – With whispers of a WR being drafted high now gone, Marvin Jones gets a small value bump as he is locked in to a starting role as the WR2 behind Golden Tate.

Green Bay Packers

N/A

Houston Texans

Will Fuller, WR – 1stround

Braxton Miller, WR – 3rdround

Fuller should step in as the starter across from Hopkins, but his limited skillset as a deep threat specialist with drop issues will cap his upside, especially in PPR leagues. Braxton is an intriguing pick as an extremely talented but raw athlete. He could have some serious long term value if he continues to develop. Jaelen Strong and Cecil shorts both take a very big hit in value.

Tyler Ervin, RB – 4thround

An electric scat back, Ervin only has a mediocre set of backs standing in front of him and the 3rd down role behind Lamar Miller. He gets an extra bump in value in KR/PR leagues.

Indianapolis Colts

N/A. *Notes* – Invested 2 of their first 3 picks shoring up the offensive line, which should help keep Luck upright more often.

Jacksonville Jaguars

N/A. *Notes* – A lot of big names on this defense now. If they end up playing to their potential we could be seeing less shootouts, which could hurt the offensive values a bit.

Kansas City Chiefs

Demarcus Robinson, WR – 4thround

A speedy deep ball threat who has the physical tools to potentially be one of the best WRs in the draft. He’s raw, has got some major character concerns and was drafted to a team that does not focus on the deep ball. Not a great dynasty outlook unless there’s some major changes made to the Chiefs offensive system.

St. Louis Rams

Jared Goff, QB – 1stround

He’ll likely start from day one, but don’t expect much from a fantasy perspective while they have the offense running through the best RB in the league.

Tyler Higbee, TE – 4th round

If he can overcome his injury and off the field issues, he has the tools to be an above average TE who could be great in a couple of years. Could provide immediate value with the departure of Jared Cook.

Pharoh Cooper, WR – 4th round

Pharoh is the favorite here, but it’s going to be difficult for him to display his talents (hands, YAC ability) when he’s got a ton of work to do in order to improve all other facets of his game. He could prove useful in fantasy if he’s used in bubble screens, and also has some added value in return yardage leagues.

Mike Thomas, WR – 6thround

Thomas comes from a small school, but he’s a sleeper favorite in a lot of circles. He’s got a lot of talent and has a flair for the spectacular catch, but it’s still yet to be seen if his production is a result of his talent or the weak competition he faced.

Miami Dolphins

Kenyan Drake, RB – 3rdround

Should step in as a 3rd down back next to Ajayi. Has a limited skillset, but could be a viable fantasy contributor in PPR and KR leagues. Ajayi gets a pretty big value bump.

Leonte Carroo, WR – 3rdround

Another top 10 receiver who’s going into a bad situation for his fantasy outlook. Parker and Landry are both entrenched as starters in MIA, so he’s going to have to find a way to carve out a role as the 3rd string WR. He could end up as a good long term investment at a discounted price due to his landing spot.

Minnesota Vikings

Laquon Treadwell, WR – 1stround

Treadwell is going to a run first team, but he’s got a bright future as new #1 receiver that can grow alongside Teddy Bridgewater. He’s immensely talented and still has room to grow, but he likely won’t become a high-end fantasy producer until AP is gone. Diggs get a bump in value as he now has a viable threat on the opposite side to help spread the field.

Moritz Boehringer, WR – 6thround

Boehringer is an intriguing prospect, but he’s the rawest wide receiver picked in this draft and played against very inferior competition in a different country.

New England Patriots

Jacoby Brissett, QB – 3rdround

A bit of a surprise this early, Brissett could be a sign that the Pats aren’t as confident in Garoppolo as some thought they were. He’s got a cannon for an arm, but lacks refinement in a lot of other areas.

Malcolm Mitchell, WR – 4th round

A well rounded possession receiver with toughness and some ability to play on the outside. An underrated pick here considering the Pats have basically no one to play on the outside since the release of Brandon Lafell.

*Notes* – Some thought they would look for RB help. The entire backfield gets a bump in value. Dion Lewis is a great buy low candidate coming off an injury.

New Orleans Saints

Michael Thomas, WR – 2ndround

This is a great landing spot for Thomas. He’s a competitive player with prototypical WR1 size, and only has to beat out Willie Snead and Brandon Coleman for snaps. He’s still a bit raw and might not contribute this season. Snead and Coleman both take big hits in their value.

New York Giants

Sterling Shepard, WR – 2ndround

The most polished receiver in the draft should immediately step in as the WR2 behind OBJ. He’s going to have a lot of value in PPR leagues and is one of the surest bets to produce this year, even though his ceiling isn’t as high as some other WRs.

Paul Perkins, RB – 5thround

Another top RB prospect who goes to a muddled backfield. Great vision with a nasty jump cut. He’s pretty good at everything else, but nothing particularly great. Shane Vereen is a better receiver out of the backfield, and Andre Williams is a better short game specialist. He’s talented and could emerge as the lead back, but it’s anyone’s guess at this point.

New York Jets

Christian Hackenburg, QB – 2ndround

Hackenburg is going to need some serious time to develop if he’s ever going to be a good NFL QB. He’s got the size and arm you look for in a QB, but he’s got a lot of work to do before becoming a contributor.

Oakland Raiders

Connor Cook, QB – 4thround

He’ll make a great career backup.

DeAndre Washington, RB – 5thround

Washington provides some much needed help as a 3rd down back and could help in the return game as well. Latavius Murray should be spelled more often now and takes a slight hit in value simply because he won’t lead the league in % of touches by a teams RB, but it’s not nearly as bad of a value hit as it could’ve been.

Philadelphia Eagles

Carson Wentz, QB – 1stround

The Eagles mortgaged their future on this pick, but he really needs to sit at least a year to get caught up with the NFL game.

Wendell Smallwood, RB – 5thround

If the Eagles end up shopping Darren Sproles, he could step in as the 3rd down back behind Ryan Mathews. His athleticism isn’t extraordinary but he’s tough player with good vision.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Demarcus Ayers, WR – 7th

He’s got some explosiveness and could contribute as a return man, but he’s extremely raw and has a long way to go before he’s a viable fantasy asset.

San Diego Chargers

Hunter Henry, TE – 2nd

Many see him as the best TE prospect in the draft, and he should be a good stash behind an aging Antonio Gates.

San Francisco 49ers

Aaron Burbridge, WR – 6th

A complementary receiver who could crack the roster simply because the majority of the rest of the competition is underwhelming.

*Notes* – Torrey Smith and DeAndre Smelter continue to rise in value. Some thought WR would be an area that was addressed early in the draft, but this should give owners some confidence that these two will get a shot at becoming viable fantasy contributors soon.

Seattle Seahawks

C.J. Prosise, RB – 3rdround

Alex Collins, RB – 5thround

Prosise projects as a Theo Riddick type back, and Collins projects as a tough downhill runner in the mold that Seattle prefers. This is bad news for Rawls owners, but he should still have first crack at the starting gig as long as he’s healthy by the start of the season. He’s probably not worth the price of what owners are asking of him at this point, however.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Robert Aguayo, K – 2ndround

First ballot HOFer, hands down. Honestly though, this could be a good pick when you consider how important a talented, consistent kicker is with the PAT move and the accuracy that may be needed in order to take advantage of the new kickoff rule.

Tennessee Titans

Derrick Henry, RB – 2ndround

There’s a ton of mouths to feed here. They just traded for Demarco Murray, and Cobb, Sankey, McCluster and Antonio Andrews are all still in the mix. This is not a great spot for his fantasy value.

Tajae Sharpe, WR – 5thround

Another area with way too many mouths to feed and not enough production to make anyone a viable option. Between DGB, Wright, Rishard Matthews and Tre McBride, this is a WR corps that I’m not buying into in fantasy.

Washington Redskins

Josh Doctson, WR – 1stround

You’re likely going to have to sit on him for a year before he sees any major playing time, but with Garcon, Desean and Reed all on expiring contracts, he should get his shot at the lead gig by the beginning of next year.